POOF!
by bluekinu
Summary: What happens when Ed had too much storytelling to listen to from his teacher Izumi. An adaptation of "The Swan Princess" ... A fairytale re-told...FMA Style!
1. Prolouge

**POOF! **

By: Bluekinu

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do not own the animation/story, The Swan Princess either. All things that may be related to these two animations are just all borrowed and have inspired me to make this _**'adaptation'**_ fanfic.

Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading this "FMA Fairytale" :D

* * *

** Prolouge**

"What the heck?!" Ed scrambled to get free from his teacher's grasp.

"Leave it brother, you know it's no use when she's this determined." Al reasoned calmly.

"You ought to listen to your younger brother Edward…if you know what's best for you." Izumi looked over her shoulders grinning devilishly at Ed.

"And since when did you develop this love for story telling?" Ed sarcastically asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, let's just say it gives me inner peace to be doing this." Izumi said, following up with a big laugh.

Ed and Al looked at each other with huge sweat drops over their heads.

"Yeah right…" Ed mumbled.

Inside Izumi's house

"Thanks a lot Winry, you've been so much help." Sigu said, looking over a group of kids patiently seated on the floor. "I'm proud of what Izumi has done for these kids."

Winry waved her hands in the air, "Oh really, that was nothing. I'm glad I could be of help." she replied blushing.

"Hmmm, where could they have gone to? It's almost time."

"I think that would answer your question." Sigu pointed out to the half-opened door.

"Oh…" Winry blinked.

"We're almost home boys. I want you two to be good examples to those kids. You are MY STUDENTS isn't it?" Izumi said cheerfully, yet her eyes threatening.

THUD!!

"AAWW!"

Edward immediately stood up, clenching up his right fist, "You could have at least released us gently! You dragged us all the way here, on our backs, sweeping us like brooms on the road, then dropping us like some sack on the pavement AND you expect us to be motivated and play pretend?!"

Al was starting to get up from the ground, dusting-off his armor.

"LOOKING LIKE THIS??" Ed blew.

Izumi's eyes narrowed, "I DIDN'T TRAIN YOU TO BE SUCH A SISSY EDWARD ELRIC. And since when did you ever become particular with your looks?!" A smile crept over Izumi's face, her eyebrows raising.

"It's not what you think!" Ed said defensively.

Izumi turned her back and walked towards her house, "I expect you two to be inside in 5 minutes." She glanced back and shot her dagger sharp eyes to them as if to say she wasn't kidding, then she went inside.

"Al, remind me why we chose her to be our teacher." Ed said, letting out a loud sigh.

Al laughed awkwardly.

_Ed and Al, together with Winry sat with the kids the whole afternoon listening to Izumi read children stories. Al and Winry didn't mind the stories, but Ed could have sworn his ears had fallen off listening to all those stories Izumi referred to as 'fairy tales'. _

That night

"Al, where's Ed?" Winry asked. "We'll be having dinner in a while."

"Uh, well…he said his ears, I MEAN his head hurts a litlle…"

_-silence- _

"I'll wake him up." Al offered and headed towards the stairs.

"Don't."

Al stopped dead on his tracks; Izumi's voice was firm and commanding.

"Oh…okay…" Al slowly walked back.

"But Izumi." Winry urged.

"Let him rest; he had a long day." Izumi said softly.

Al and Winry smiled at the thought that Izumi was after all concerned about Ed.

"At least there's one less mouth to feed, so what are we waiting for. Let's eat!"

_BLINK, BLINK _Winry and Al were dumbfounded. So much for concern…

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

_The early morning sunlight peered into the glass window of their room. Ed was awakened as the soft sunlight touched his face. His eyes gently opened and he squinted as the rays pierced his eyes. He blocked the light with his right hand and noticed how the metal shined as the sunlight hit it. _

_He sat up, his head hanged low and the soft blonde strands of his hair fell gently over his shoulders. _

"Just another day."_ he whispered to himself. He took a deep breath and looked up and saw his younger brother still fast asleep. A gentle smile broke down his face as he saw how peaceful Alphonse has been sleeping. He could almost feel his brother's calmness even if he's stuck in that huge suit of armor. _

"Brother! Please let me keep the kitty…" Al shouted fumbling, tossing in bed and then back to sleep again.

_Ed blinked in surprise and shook his head smiling. He stood up, changed his clothes and headed downstairs. _

_Izumi was just done setting their breakfast when Ed appeared into the dining room. _

"Good morning Edward." Izumi greeted, smiling softly at him.

"Morning Aunt Izumi. What do you want me to get for lunch and dinner today?" Ed asked as he reached for 3 mugs on the cupboard.

"It's really up to you Edward, whatever you want to get is fine with us."

"I'm sorry too brother I can't help you with the hunting." Al said from behind.

"WHOA!! Al, don't creep on me like that!" Ed gasped, clutching the mugs over his chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry brother." Al apologized frantically.

Ed smiled, "It's alright Al. It's not your fault you're in that armor."

"Brother…"

"And don't feel bad as well Aunt Izumi, it's not like you wanted to be sick."

Izumi got teary eyed and clutched her right fist to her bosom, "Edward…"

Ed gave them a big smile, "Let's eat, and I promise to bring home something special for today!"

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Oh man, where have all the animals gone to!?"

_Ed, exhausted, opted to take a break by the lakeside. He saw some twigs lying on the ground and decided to go fishing instead. He clapped his hands over a pile of dried leaves and transmuted them into a fishing rod and string. _

Ed let out a loud sigh, "Here goes nothing." _Remembering how much of a failure they were back then when they had their first fishing experience in Rock Island. _

_A sudden rustle from the bushes caught Ed's attention. He slowly crept to where it was coming from, thinking an animal might have been caught; he grabbed his bow and arrow._

"A duck, perfect!" _Ed grinned devilishly and imagined how good it would taste after roasting it. He aimed his arrow at the animal and waited for the perfect timing to release it. _

_Unfortunately, the animal must have sensed Ed's presence for it suddenly looked his way. _

"Damn, it saw me!" Ed cursed in his mind. "No time to loose, I've got to fire now."

_But for some reasons, the way the animal looked at him made Ed hesitate to shoot his arrow. The animal flapped its wings harder in desperation to free itself from being tangled up in the branches. Finally, after a couple of desperate attempts, it freed itself and with a couple more flaps of its wings, it took off into the air. _

Snapping back to his self, Ed realized his prey has escaped. "Oh no you don't!"

_Ed transmuted his wooden arrow into metal so it could fly faster into the air, and hopefully pierce his prey hard enough to take it down. _

_In a blink of an eye, Ed's arrow flew and so did a couple of feathers _

_He saw his prey head for the forest a couple of miles away; he noticed it was already limping and he knew he got a catch. _

_Ed ran into the woods, he saw his prey from above and followed it to wherever its body would land. Despite his grumbling stomach, and the fact that the sun was already setting, there's no way he would give up now. _

_He stopped dead on his tracks when he finally reached a clearing and saw a waterfall at the end of the forest. He never knew there was one inside this forest. He hid behind a huge tree when he heard the flapping wings from above. Not for long, he saw his duck_ _hover into the waterfall and gently landed on the ground. Limping, it walked straight into the water. _

_Ed couldn't believe what he saw when the water parted in the middle, like a curtain being opened to another place. The duck went it and then it was gone. Clenching his fist, Ed ran into the opening as it closed behind him. _

**Back in Izumi's house**

"I wonder where has brother gone to?" Al sounded worried as he gazed into the window. "I hope he's alright."

"Don't worry too much Alphonse. Edward must have a good reason for being this late." Izumi consoled.

* * *

"Okaaaayy, what the heck is this place?"

_Ed walked around the unfamiliar territory. There wasn't really anything bad or threatening about the place, in fact, it was like he's in some fantasy world. Landscaped trees and plants were everywhere, and there was even a lake in the middle of it all. And if you look closely further down the lake, a castle stood._

_Ed's stomach churned and grumbled so loud he swore that in the quietness of that place, the sound echoed through. _

"Great, all that running took a lot from me. Where is that freaking duck!" Ed shouted at himself, and messed his hair in frustration.

A splash in the water caught Ed's attention. He then instinctively hid in a nearby bush.

"So there you are." his teeth clenched when he saw the duck on the edge of the lake. He gently picked up his bow and arrow and aimed.

_The wind blew gently and the clouds parted to reveal the bright full moon above. The moonlight spilled across the place and over the lake. The animal started to glow as it was bathed by the moonlight. Ed lowered his arrow and the next thing he saw was beyond whatever he had imagined happening. _

_The duck was enveloped in what looked like a fountain of bright colored water in shades of pink and blue. Not for long, the figure changed into a form of a woman. Ed blinked a couple of times, but his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. When the water finally returned to its normal form, a woman indeed was standing to where the animal once was. _

_She has long blonde hair that was tied in a neat ponytail and went down almost to her waist; some strands were freely hanging down on the sides of her gentle face. Her fair skin radiated under the moonlight. She wore a long white gown that was accentuated with a pale pink ribbon around the waist, which formed a 'V' towards her abdomen. Another ribbon connected from where the tip of the 'V" ribbon ended to the hem of her gown. Her face emanated with such gentleness and beauty that Ed didn't realize he was already standing up from his hiding place._

CRUNCH!

Ed stepped over some twigs. "Oooppsss."

_The next thing he knew, a wrench flew straight at him and he fell on the ground. _

* * *


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

_Ed was woken up by a nudge on his left arm. He opened his eyes and saw the clear night sky. One by one, different animals peered down at him. _

"What the..!"

_Ed exclaimed sitting straight up. He shook his head and glanced at the animals around him, then to the lake, then back to the animals, then to the lake again until he finally gave up and sighed. _

_Ed heard footsteps from upfront and looked up to see the beautiful woman from the lake walking towards him. _

_She was indeed the most beautiful person he had ever seen. In the moonlit night, Ed saw the bluest pair of eyes that held so much love, sadness and hope. And just by looking at her he was rendered speechless. _

"Where have you been Edward?" she said smiling.

Ed opened his mouth but nothing came out.

She rushed and hugged Ed who was still sitting on the grass. "Welcome back." she whispered in his ear as a tears escaped from her eyes.

_Ed's heart pounded like crazy with her embrace. He felt the warmth of her body over his, and that made his cheeks burn red-hot. He clenched the grass tightly with his both hands, controlling himself from holding this magnificent woman in his arms. _

_She loosed her grip and faced Edward._

"How did you know my name?" Ed asked quite awkwardly, he felt as if steam was coming out from his collar.

She smiled at him and took out a shinny metal object from the side pocket of her gown. "This will explain everything."

_Ed took the object and had a long look at it. He ran his fingers over the symbol etched on top as if trying to remember what he needed to know. He noticed a thin line passing around the side of the object; he pushed one side up and it opened instantly. _

_Ed's eyes widened as he read the note etched inside; and right then and there all his memories from his past came flashing right before his eyes._

"Edward? Edward!"

_Like a pang in the face, Ed's thoughts were pulled back to him. He looked up and saw that the woman from the lake was looking at him, her eyes searching. _

"Winry." Ed said softly.

"Everything is clear now isn't it?'

"Yes." Ed looked down, his left fist tightened. "But why the heck did you hit me with the wrench for?!"

Winry blinked in surprise, then her eyes narrowed, "I can never be too sure. What if it was a peeping-tom of some sort that was hiding in the bush!"

Edward shook his head, "C'mon Winry, who would want to do that?"

"Hah! Don't give too much credit to yourself. I bet you haven't grown one wee bit of an inch, Edward." Winry stood up, daring Ed to stand in front of her.

Ed stood up but backed away a couple of steps. "You could have killed me back then! And where did you get this?" Ed waved the wrench in the air.

"Oh that. Well… I really don't know…" Winry said looking sideways. "You could have killed me too you know!" she countered, looking at the bow and arrow that lay on the grass a few feet away.

"Don't blame me. I thought you were a real duck!"

"A WHAT! A DUCK!! Edward ducks and swans aren't the same." Winry fumed.

"It's really no big deal Winry. They're basically the same." Ed replied a little annoyed.

"No they are not! Ducks have different colored feathers, they vary depending on their breed. Swans have WHITE. Ducks have short necks; swans have long ones. AND swans are waaaaay more graceful than ducks."

"Alright, alright! You are a swan, not a duck." Ed sighed. "Anyway, at least now I know what truly happened.

"Yes, but now you should get back home. They've been waiting for you." Winry smiled, handing him a bag of fruits gathered by the animals.

Ed remembered Al and Izumi and the food he had promised to bring back home.

"Thanks Winry, and to all of you."

Winry shook her head, "We're just glad you're back Edward."

Ed picked up his bow and arrow and walked back up to the waterfall. Winry and the other animals watched him as he leave, but Ed suddenly stopped, looked back and said, "Really Winry, I'm sorry I…" his eyes turned to her left shoulder which he knew he had wounded with his arrow.

Winry shook her head a little, and smiled as she held her left shoulder with her right hand, "It's alright."

Ed closed his eyes, took a deep breath and smiled to himself.

"Hey Winry."

"Huh?"

"It was nice seeing you again." Ed smiled and turned to leave.

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring anything special yesterday." Ed apologized over breakfast.

"Oh, Edward. No need for apologies. There were still bread to eat." Izumi tried to appease Ed's depressed look. "And besides, it's just me who ate. Alphonse doesn't really have to…" Izumi laughed awkwardly trying to break the ice of the seriousness in the air.

"That's alright brother. It's no big deal." Al reassured him.

Ed smiled weakly and stood up. "Aunt Izumi, I won't need to go hunting today. As payment to my disappearance yesterday I brought something really special for us." Ed carried the bag of fruits and laid it on the table.

"I hope you'll like them. I think this will last us for another day or so." Ed opened the bag and reached for a fruit.

Izumi let out a loud gasp. Her hands started to tremble as she reached out to touch one of them. "Ed, Edward. Where did you get these?" her voice a mere whisper. She looked at Ed and saw his head bowed down; his fists were tightly clenched on the table.

"Aunt Izumi, you don't need to pretend anymore…I know everything." Ed reached for his pocket and took out the pocket watch Winry gave him last night.

"Oh, oh my gosh. Edward." Izumi broke down in tears.

"Huh? Aunt Izumi why are you crying? Brother, what's happening?!" Al started to panic.

"Al, calm down. Give me your hand and I'll explain everything."

"Oh okay." Al sat down again and held out his hand.

_Edward told him to do the same thing he did last night with the watch; and in an instant, Al saw everything that Ed saw…their past. _

"Al, Alphonse!" Ed shook his brother

"Brother…mom and Dad…our castle…our people…Winry." Al's hands shook with anger and sadness. "What will we do now?"

"We're going to get back what's rightfully ours." Ed stated firmly. "We'll bring him down."

"Edward, Alphonse, don't do anything rash. It's been years since I last saw this man's power. Who knows how much it grew overtime." Izumi warned.

"That's why we're going there tonight to find out." Ed grinned.

* * *


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"It feels right home isn't it brother?" Al said as soon as they reached the clearing through the waterfall.

Ed looked up at the setting sun and smiled, "You can take off your disguise now Al."

"Oh yeah." Al laughed and he took-off his trench coat and hat and laid it neatly on the grass.

"There she is." Ed looked at the lake.

Al saw a swan gracefully wading in the water. "Winry! Winry!" Al called running down towards her.

Winry moved closer and bowed her long neck, acknowledging Al.

"It's nice to see you again Winry…although…well, you'll be changing in a little while won't you?" I would love to see that!!" Al exclaimed cheerfully, being the optimist that he is.

Winry nodded and smiled.

"WOW! You can understand me?!" Al's eyes gleamed with delight.

"So, you have a thing with swans now. I thought you could only communicate with cats." Ed teased.

Winry flashed him a threatening look and Ed smiled, looking sideways.

"Of course she can understand you. She's still human. She just can't talk in her swan form." Ed propped down on the grass. "We'll just have to wait for the moon."

_Al's eyes lit up like a child in awe when he saw Winry's transformation to her original form. Ed too was glad to see her change back – he was actually starring at her. _

Al rushed to her and took her hand, "It's nice to see you again Winry!"

"You said that a while ago Al." Winry giggled. "AND it's nice to see you too again Alphonse."

Al led her to where Ed was and started chatting with her.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Ed cut in.

"Oh, yeah…" Al whispered, releasing Winry's hand.

"Okay, now that we've got our memories back, tell us what we need to know about that bastard."

"Brother."

"Oh c'mon Al, sure he just did that to protect us and our people, but you also have to remember the consequences it brought."

Ed turned to Winry, "How's the stone's power doing?"

"It's not good. You do know that eventually the stone will loose its power if it's not in the hands of an Elric. The only thing that fuels the stone's power is his guilt."

Ed snorted.

"Are you blaming him because he wasn't there in time to save your parents? He tried Edward…he did." Winry looked astray.

"We all know he was a loyal subject to your family. He just erased your memory and shipped you off with Izumi to protect the two of you…It just so happens that the power of the stone was too much for him to bear that it went haywire…and this happened…" Winry trailed off.

Ed bent his left knee near his chest and placed his left arm over it. "I'm not mad at him."

Al bowed his head and sighed.

Winry noticed how silent Al has become, and looking at Ed, she noticed his golden eyes gleaming with anger. "You're angry at yourselves aren't you?"

"If only we were stronger back then, none of these would have happened." Al said in guilt.

Winry shook her head, "You have no reason to feel guilty in anyway."

She knelt over in front of Edward, "You have to have him do the same transmutation circle as he did when he accidentally transformed everyone to how they are right now. It's only him who could bring them back to normal. But you must be careful, at the rate the stone is going; too much pressure on it will cause it to disintegrate. And if that happens…"

"No, that won't happen. WE won't let that happen. We promise to bring everything and everyone back to normal, including you Winry." Al said firmly.

Winry smiled and was about to say something when Ed stood up.

"GREAT! Now that we know what to do let's get going."

"You already have a plan brother?"

"Yes, it's simple. A fist in his face to knock him back to his senses." Ed made a fist and beamed with anticipation.

"WHAAAAT!!" Al and Winry exclaimed.

"Don't tell me were gonna stop now. Our castle is just a few feet away." Ed pointed to the direction of their castle, which is a few MILES away.

"Be rational Ed. It's not like you can just barge in there and knock him out just like that…as you planned. You can't afford to make any miscalculations, there's no second chance."

"Yes brother, I agree with Winry."

Ed clenched his automail arm and looked at it intently. "You worry too much Winry. Don't tell me you don't have faith in your work with my automail."

Winry looked at Ed then looked away, her eyes shinned with anger and concern.

"Fine, we'll do it tomorrow night." Ed finally gave in.

Both Winry and Al sighed with relief.

"I hope you had enough of being a swan Winry, because tomorrow night you'll never be a sawn again." Ed smiled.

Winry looked away and lowered her gaze.

"What now? Don't tell me…" Ed looked confused.

"Winry?" Al looked confused as well.

Winry smiled and sighed, "You don't really need the stone to make me normal again."

"Okaaaayy, so what do we have to do to make you normal again?"

Winry blushed, "Well, it's more like what YOU have to do Ed."

"Wwha-what?" Ed asked cautiously.

"You… - you have to kiss me."

BLINK, BLINK

"WAAHAHAHAHAHA!! Winry, I never knew you had a sense of humor." Ed laughed his heart out.

Al noticed Winry wasn't laughing at all, let alone smile. She just stood there looking at Ed.

"Brother!! Stop it!" Al strangled his brother to stop him from laughing any further.

"C-c'mon Al, as if – UMPHF." Al covered Ed's mouth to stop him from saying things that might offend Winry.

Winry shook her head and smiled weakly, "It's alright Al. I was just…testing him."

"Huh? Oh,…okay." Al released his brother.

"You two should get going. You need to rest, tomorrow's the big day." Winry winked and smiled cheerfully.

_After Al and Ed left, Winry sat under a tree and the animals gathered around her_.

_(Being a swan for quite sometime now, Winry is able to understand the animals even in her original form.)_

"Why didn't you tell him everything?" a squirrel asked.

"You all saw what happened. How would he make a vow of everlasting love when a mere mention of him kissing me sets him off laughing to death."

"Don't loose hope Winry; believe me, I can feel Ed loves you." A deer said and the others agreed.

"Yes, he does. We're friends after all…I just don't know if that love is enough to bring me back to normal."

_With that, Winry closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. _

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**Somewhere inside the castle grounds a group of animals are gathered together. **

_**(GUIDELINES)**_

Breda- pig

Havoc- goat

Ross- chicken

Falmon- mouse

Feury- sheep

Brosh- cow

Sheska- cat

Armstrong- horse

Hawkeye- pigeon

Maes- dog

Pinako- duck

* * *

I wonder how's Sir Roy doing now" Feury though out load.

"Yeah, come to think of it, it's been quite a while since he last went out of that room." Sheska said in concern, looking up at the window above them.

"Hah! Don't worry too much about that guy. For all we now he's just slacking his ass off up there; and besides, he's a tough guy. He won't die just like that." Maes said, scratching his ear with his paw.

"You're not so concerned about our situation isn't it? Being a dog isn't that bad." Havoc sulked. "But look at ME! **LOOK-AT-ME**!! How cruel can Sir Roy get, transforming me to a goat."

"You're bothered by that...do you want to exchange places?" Falman said dryly.

"This just goes to show how much "style" the man has for his imagination." Pinako pointed out quite frankly.

"Yeah…very…barnyard." Breda sighed with disappointment.

"Hmp! But he sure does play favorites." Havoc whispered, his eyes peering at Riza.

"Jean Havoc." Armstrong warned. "We should be happy; at least we're all still alive. This may not be the greatest look, but we should make the most of what we've got." He added, posing and flexing his muscles.

_(Sweat drops for everybody) _

"Speaking of forms, I wonder if Winry found the princes'." Ross wondered aloud.

"Oh yes, now that you've mentioned it…"

"Whoa!"

A twig fell from the sky, landing at the middle of the group.

Riza flew to a nearby woodpile and looked up at the sky, "She just answered our question."

All of them looked up and saw a sawn flying back to the other side.

"Good job Winry." Pinako said proudly.

**Inside one of the rooms in the castle. **

_Roy is seating on a huge chair, his hands clasped together, his head bowed down. His black hair was a mess, his coat thrown away somewhere in the room and his white shirt was left opened almost halfway through his chest._

_The room was relatively dark, only a small portion of the heavy curtains was parted in the middle, allowing only a crack of sunlight to enter the room. _

_Roy has been fighting his own demons for quite sometime now. His eyes that used to be so composed and strong are now filled with guilt and anguish. And in the quietness of the room, a faint glow from a ring in his hand was all that stood out, accompanied by his silent tears. _

* * *

Maes went up and stood on a box and faced the other animals. "Now that we know that our majesties are back, we need to formulate a plan."

"To defeat Sir Roy?" Feury asked worriedly.

"Uh…no. That's princes' Ed's and Al's job…I- I MEAN duty." Maes coughed.

_Everyone's eyebrows raised_

"What's with the look?" Maes laughed awkwardly. "You all know that we're no match for Roy…especially in this state." he added defensively.

"So what are we planning about?" Brosh asked.

Maes raised his two front paws and said, "Let's huddle."

**Back at the lake **

"Winry?" Izumi quickened her pace down the lake as she saw a swan at the edge of the lake.

_Winry raised her head and started to walk towards her. Izumi rushed down and bent over, hugging the swan before her. Winry rested her neck over Izumi's shoulder, letting her know she's okay. _

"Sorry to have come in so early." Ed smiled, scratching his head awkwardly.

Winry gently shook her head and tugged Ed's shirt with her beak.

"Huh?"

Then Winry pointed her beak towards the castle and raised her left wing as well.

"Do you want us to go right now?" Al bent over asking.

Winry nodded.

"Now look who's getting all excited." Ed said, his lips twitching to a smile.

"But the sun is still high up and it'll be another five hours before the moon comes out." Al said concerned, "It's alright, we can wait." he added.

"Al, Winry should be in her swan form so that when Roy makes his transmutation circle, she'll be able to come back to her original form." Ed reminded him.

"But--" Al trailed off, noticing Winry has looked away. He remembered what she said last night, and now he's not sure whether she's was really joking or not. But by looking at her eyes, Al got the feeling she's not.

"Yeah…okay…" Al replied softly. He couldn't bring himself to ask her again.

"It's a long walk from here. Do you know any other way to get to the castle besides the drawbridge?" Izumi asked Winry.

"We do." Ed and Al beamed.

"There's a secret passage over there that'll bring us directly to the castle's garden." Al said, pointing to a huge rock a few feet away.

"Oh…" Izumi looked amazed.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad showed that to us when we were just small kids. And since then, Al and I had used that to--" Ed suddenly stopped.

Izumi's eyes narrowed, "To escape from your lessons."

Al froze and Ed stiffened.

"We'll settle that matter later." Izumi gave them a dangerous look.

"Ehe-he-he…Yeah…sure." Ed laughed nervously. "But right now there are more important things to attend to. Right Al?"

"Yes, yes that's right, of course!" Al nodded nervously.

* * *


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

"Slowly…okay." Ed signaled Al as they pushed a wall that revealed the castle's garden behind.

_They slowly came out from the vine-covered wall and made their way towards the left side of the garden, which leads to the backdoor of the kitchen. _

"The garden sure does needs major tending." Izumi pointed out.

"Something tells me that I shouldn't be surprised if the castle itself would look worse than this." Ed said in an irritated tone.

"Brother look!" Al said excitedly, looking at the group of farm animals a few feet away in front of them.

"Al wait!" Izumi pulled him back. "Let them come to us."

_Izumi threw a couple of pebbles at them, yet no one seemed to pay much attention to it. Winry picked up two pieces of twigs and nudged them over to Izumi. And as the twigs landed on the ground, all of the animals suddenly stopped, looked at each other and turned slowly towards the garden. _

_Al and Ed were behind some bushes, smiling and waving at them. _

"UMPF!"

"Whoa!"

"Awww!"

"Okaaaaay, I guess everybody did miss us." Ed said, pulling himself up to a seating position.

Al giggled, lying on the grass.

"You've finally returned Prince Edward, Prince Alphonse. I, Sir Armstrong, your loyal subject would be honored if you'll ride my back."

"Thanks, but that's not really necessary Armstrong." Ed acknowledged smiling. "Hey, wait…you guys can talk. I mean, you know…" Ed looked half puzzled half curious.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Al added as he rose to sit up.

"That's because Winry's case is a little different." Pinako supplied.

_(Silence) _

Al, sensing the sudden silence changed the topic. "Where do we start, where do we find Roy?"

Riza flew down from a nearby branch and moved closer to the brothers. "Sir Roy has confined himself to the room in the West Wing. We haven't seen him for months."

"Somehow I know he'll be showing up soon; and now that we're here, the stone would have definitely showed him signs of our presence." Ed's gaze was fixed on the ground.

"But before anything else, I have a proposition; a plan if you may call it, your majesties." Maes said proudly.

"A plan…"

"Yes, you see your majesties; a barrier was created by Sir Roy when he made "the" circle. I guess that was because of his desire to protect the castle from any further invaders, but in that process drove away the villagers into the forest, not letting them near the castle."

"You mean the forest before the waterfall?" Al asked.

"Oh, no. That's just an alternate world used to keep you safe during all these years. The waterfall is the gate connecting the two worlds." Maes replied casually.

"Oh…" Ed and Al had nothing more to react with the revelations that were thrown at them.

"Anyway, we need to get Roy out of the castle and make him do "the" circle here at the castle grounds. In this way, it will radiate throughout the kingdom, breaking the barrier he originally created."

"But Sir Roy doesn't and wouldn't just go out the castle that easily." Brosh reminded.

"That's where MY plan will come in!" Maes beamed.

"So what's the plan?" Ed asked suspiciously.

Maes raised his two front paws, motioning the others to come closer.

_(Whispers) _

"WHHAATT??"

_Maes nodded and smiled._

_Ed and Al sighed heavily and shook their heads._

"The castle is partially wrecked anyway, so what the heck." Ed agreed dryly.

Alphonse gasped with his brother's decision.

"Alright, let's go in" Ed nodded and grinned.

"Okay. I'll go first your majesties to see if the coast is clear." Falmon offered.

"Okay, but would you all stop with the "majesty" thing. It's quite annoying already." Ed noted.

"Huh?" … "Oh…okay…" Everyone looked at each other.

_After Falmon gave the signal, everybody tiptoed their way into the kitchen, passing through the corridors of the castle and into the hall of the castle. _

_Most of the things and structures of the castle was still intact, except for the noticeable dust and dirt that had accumulated from years of neglect._

"Hey wait a minute! Why are we all tiptoeing our way into my castle?!" Ed suddenly pointed out, quite irritated actually.

_Everybody laughed awkwardly, realizing how funny they all must have looked. _

"Enough of this sneaking around. Let him know we are here." Ed moved up the line, Al following from behind.

_However, as they entered the main hall of the castle, Ed and Al saw that this place must have been one of the areas were the fighting's had happened. The marble flooring was almost destroyed completely, some of the pillars were already near to falling apart, and some were even missing already. The decorations were barely there; the place was a mess. The only thing that stood almost unharmed is the family portrait that hanged on the inner side of the hall, leading to the entrance to another corridor. _

_The grand-staircase was still pretty much in good shape despite some cracks and torn fabrics hanging on the edges. _

"You've finally arrived your majesties."

_Roy appeared from the top of the staircase, his usual proud stance greeted them; for some reasons, he looked calm and composed. _

* * *


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"Brother." Al placed his hand over Ed's shoulders, trying to calm him down.

_Ed's fists were tightly clenched; his golden eyes gleamed with anger. _

_Roy went down the stairs while Ed moved into the center of the hall_.

"So, have you had enough of the stone?" Ed asked sarcastically.

Roy raised his right hand and looked at the ring on his finger. The red glow pulled him back to his former manic state. "I started all of this, and I will end this as well. And now that both of you are here, I can finally complete everything."

"But why don't we just talk things over. No more fighting." Al suggested.

"That's no use Al, the guy has obviously lost it." Ed pointed out distastefully.

Ed turned to Roy, "Let's just settle this the simple way."

Ed clapped his hands and placed his left palm over his automail arm, transmuting it into a stake. "Get ready Al."

Roy smirked and raised his right hand, "Ready anytime you're ready."

_Ed and Al ran towards him, while Roy snapped his fingers emitting his flames into the air. Ed did the offense, while Al did the defense. Roy hasn't released his full powers yet and most of his flames are all controlled, focusing only on the brothers. _

"Ed, I think it's time!" Maes shouted.

"Yes I know." Ed shouted back in between dodges.

Ed stopped his attacks and stood behind the huge windows. "Let's cut the chase, show me what you really have. It'll be a shame if the famous Roy Mustang has rusted already." Ed taunted.

"Brother, do you think it's really good to annoy him that much?" Al whispered.

"Of course!" Ed answered all fired-up.

Roy smiled wickedly, "You asked for it." He raised his right hand and the stone started to glow, electric sparks started to appear on his hand.

_Ed bent over a little in a sprinting position. And in an instant, Roy unleashed a huge burst of flame towards Ed. _

_Soon, the hall was covered with dust and smoke. The blast had destroyed a huge portion of the wall where the windows were. Most of the flames went straight out to the castle grounds, leaving only small flames on the heavy curtains. _

_The smoke cleared in no time, revealing the damage Roy's flame has made. _

_Ed stood up and Al pushed away a couple of wood that flew in front of him._

"Everybody okay?" Ed asked in between coughs.

"I'm okay brother." Al acknowledged.

"Yes we are okay." Armstrong replied. He and Brosh shielded the others from the blast.

"Whoa!! That's huge." Maes said, referring to the whole that was approximately 10 feet in diameter.

"Don't be so impressed Maes, you'll fix this after we're done." Ed reminded.

_Maes blinked and laughed uneasily. _

_Roy pushed away a couple of debris that flew over his side. The same guilt-consumed eyes were still there_.

"Glad to see you're okay." Ed said uninterested, "Now where were we?"

"I see you managed to dodge my fire." Roy looked impressed.

"I have a couple of tricks up my sleeves too you know." Ed replied, clapping his hands and changing his automail arm to its original form. "But I think it'll be more fun if we played outside." Ed smiled mischievously.

Roy looked puzzled for a while.

"I'll be waiting." Ed smiled and jumped-off from the whole from the wall.

Roy ran towards the whole, stopping right at the edge. He saw Ed waiting below; he smiled and jumped-off following Ed.

"So what are we waiting? Let's go." Maes cheered.

"Some plan you've got." Armstrong, Breda, and Brosh said dryly.

"Trust me, it won't be that bad. It's just one flight down." Maes encouraged.

"Easy for you to say." Brosh mumbled.

_One by one, Maes, Breda, Havoc, Falmon, Feury, Brosh, Sheska and Armstrong jumped off, while Riza, Ross and Pinako flew down._

"Go ahead Al, I'll put out the flames here first." Izumi said.

"Okay." Al then turned to Winry, "Let's go Winry."

Winry shook her head gently and motioned Al to go ahead.

"But-."

Winry nodded and smiled.

"Okay..." Al replied hesitantly but agreed to her prooding and jumped off.

* * *

"I see you were able to gather my men and gang up on me." Roy said in disgust.

"Your men? Really…if they're your men, then ALL of you are MY men. Or have you forgotten who's the boss here?!" Ed shot back.

Al stepped forward and joined the battle of words, "How can you say such a thing when you've robbed them their bodies and abilities, changing them to…" Al paused and looked at them, "to mere barnyard animals."

Havoc shook his head sadly, "He really had to stress that out huh…"

"Not only that, you've also robbed us of our memories, you even placed Aunt Izumi and Winry's life in danger!" Al paused and took a deep breath. "AND LOOK what you did to the castle!!" he cried out loud, raising his hands in the air as if waiting for thunder to strike.

"Uh--Al, I thought you weren't mad at him?" Ed looked at his brother in a rather puzzled way.

"Huh? Oh, I-ummm, just got carried away. He--he…" Al laughed.

"Well, I guess that heartfelt speech worked out somehow." Armstrong pointed.

"Huh?"

_Roy stood there frozen; his eyes seemed to return to its normal state._

"What-what was that? What have I done?…" he whispered.

_He gazed into his trembling hands, the setting sun pierced into the stone, making it shine a deep bright red. Roy took a deep breath and looked up, he was back to his disillusioned self once again. _

"Ummm, Sir Armstrong, you were saying…" Feury pointed out nervously.

"My eyes must have deceived me." Armstrong stood corrected, quite embarrassed.

Roy brushed-off the dust from his shirt and continued, "Oh yes, I remember. It was that Winry Rockbell friend of yours that got you two here." Roy flashed a devilish look.

"Don't do anything to her." Ed warned, his eyes dangerously serious.

"Is that a threat?" Roy asked sarcastically.

"Don't you DARE do anything to her!"

"Oh, it is a threat." Roy smirked, "Fine, she doesn't concern me anyway."

"If you're really bent on ending this, I dare you to transmute us if you can…just like what you did to them."

Roy's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"What's the use being in human form when everyone around you is not?" Ed replied in an exhausted tone.

"Brother, don't tell me you're giving up?" Al sounded worried.

_Ed didn't reply and instead, looked away._

"Okay, if that's what you want." Al agreed softly.

"I'm glad you two finally saw things in my perspective." Roy said calmly.

Ed squatted on the ground and sighed, "Let's get this over and dome with alright."

_Roy half-knelt and placed his right hand on the ground. He gathered his powers and with the use of the stone that further amplified it; he drew a transmutation circle on the ground using his fire ability. A thin line of fire came out and criss-crossed into the ground. Soon, his circle was etched. _

"Now, if you two would be kind enough to enter the circle." Roy motioned.

_Ed and Al were hesitant to get in at first, but in order for their plan to work, they must show no signs of hesitation. The others stood just a few feet away from the circle, holding their breaths. _

_The brothers slowly but calmly stepped in, not going in fully at the center of the circle. _

_Roy closed his eyes and as if like meditating, he pointed his right hand over the circle and the ground started to glow a pinkish-red. Soon after, the whole ground was glowing, and Ed felt his feet started to dig into the ground. The transmutation was in full swing. _

_Ed and Al gave the signal to the others and they immediately rushed into the circle. Armstrong pushed the brothers off the circle as hard as he could and they both landed on a safe part of the ground, transmuting the cement into a wall to keep them from being hit by Roy's transmutation rays. _

"What the-!" _Roy was stunned to see that instead of the brothers, the others were inside the circle. But it was too late to stop the transmutation process. _

_A surge of bright reddish-pink light filled the entire castle grounds. _

"I'M BAAAACK!!" Havoc exclaimed. Some stood speechless, others teary-eyed, and some relieved.

_Roy stood trembling, he looked totally torned apart with the emotions that ran into his head._

Without any warning, Ed ran up to him and punched him in staright in the face. "It's time to wake up!!"

All the others were stunned, and Roy fell to the ground.

"That should do it." Ed said calmly, bending over to take away the ring from Roy's finger. He gazed into the shattered stone and closed his fist tightly, putting it away in his pocket. Then he winked and nodded at Riza and walked away.

"Brother, that was…uh--awesome." Al said, still a little bit shocked.

Ed turned to him and smiled, "I told you, my plan is to put a fist in his face."

Al laughed in relief.

Riza went over to Roy and rested him on her lap, "Sir Roy."

"Hawkeye,…is that you?" Roy whispered as he gently opened his eyes.

Riza nodded.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean this to…it got out of hand." A tear escaped his eyes.

Riza shook her head, "It's alright, everything is back to normal."

Roy closed his eyes and placed a hand over hers and whispered "Thank you Riza."

She smiled.

**"Wooo-hooo!!"** everybody cheered.

"You're the best Prince Edward! Oh, I mean, Edward." Maes cheered.

"And cheers to you to Alphonse." Ross added happily.

Ed and Al blushed with the overflowing compliments and cheers.

"Really guys, it was nothing." Ed smiled shyly.

"EDWARD!" Izumi called from above.

Everybody looked up and saw Izumi's face washed over with panic.

"Ed, its Winry!" Izumi cried.

_Ed's face suddenly turned from a smile to fear, as if cold water was splashed at him and he can feel his hands turning numb and cold. _

"It's already happening." Pinako said softly, pain was evident in her voice.

"What's happening? What's ALREADY happening?!" Ed demanded.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

"Aunt Izumi, what happened to Winry?" Al started to panicked as well.

"I'm not sure, but she suddenly dropped on the floor and her breathing has become shallow."

"Just stay there. I'm going up." Ed ordered as he turned towards the castle's entrance.

Pinako barred her arm in front of Ed, stopping him from leaving, "There's no need for that Edward."

"What!?"

_Pinako looked and the others looked up into the sky. In seconds, Winry emerged, already in flight. She almost dropped to the ground the minute she took flight, but she flapped her wings harder and headed off towards the lake_.

"Why didn't she return to her human form?" Al approached Pinako. "We did something wrong isn't it?" his voice unsure.

"No, it's not something you did wrong. It's something one of you hasn't done--yet." Pinako replied.

Al turned to Ed, "Brother."

For a moment Ed looked away, clenching his fists, and shutting his eyes tight.

"I suppose she hasn't told you everything." Pinako shook her head and sighed.

Ed turned and walked a few feet away. He knelt and said, "I'll bring her back."

_Then he clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. Ed transmuted the cement ground and raised himself up to the air, making a 'bridge' that carried him towards the lake. _

"Do you know what to do?" Al shouted, but Ed was already high above the ground and Al only saw him saying something, but wasn't able to hear what he said.

* * *

_Winry was already nearing the edge of the lake, and by this time her strength was already failing her. She was already faltering as she started to descend to the lake. Her wings tipped from side to side, touching the moon-bathed water. Finally, she was able to reach the edge of the lake where the water meets the grass. She was grateful that the moon was out that night, and as soon as the moonlight hit her, she transformed back to being human. _

_Ed was already halfway towards the lake when he saw a familiar light at the edge of the lake, and as he drew near, he saw Winry lying on the edge of the grass, her right arm outstretched into the water. Ed's heart pounded so hard that breathing became difficult. _

"WINRY!!"

_Ed jumped off from the 'bridge' and ran into the shallow part of the lake. He rushed towards her and gathered her in his arms. _

"Winry, wake up." Ed shook her gently.

Winry didn't move. She looked like she's sleeping but her arms lay lifeless on the grass.

"Winry wake up, please!" Ed drew her near, almost hugging her.

Winry moved a little and Ed loosened his grip and looked down at her. Winry slowly opened her eyes and upon seeing Ed, she gave him a sweet smile.

"Prince Edward."

"You agreed not to call me 'prince' remember?" Ed smiled.

Winry smiled, "Ed, I …I feel so tired."

"Winry…wait." Ed searched his pocket and took out the ring. "This might help."

Winry shook her head gently and placed her hand over his hand that held the ring. "That's not really necessary Ed."

"Huh?" Ed looked confused. "The stone may be a little shattered but it still has its power, and besides, it's in my hands now."

"Ed…I'm sorry."

"Winry…"

Winry looked away, "I really want to go to sleep now."

"NO!" Ed exclaimed, panic was already overwhelming him.

_Ed knew she was lying and he fought hard to keep his tears inside; he didn't want her to see him as helpless as what he's feeling right then. His throat tightened and he felt a lump of air trapped in his throat, making it difficult to speak. _

"Why is this happening?! First, I lost what was rightfully mine, and when I finally got everything back, something will be taken away from me again…" Ed's voice trembled. "Whatever happened to equivalent exchange?" he looked away in resentment.

Winry tightened her hold on Ed's hand, "Ed, look at me."

Ed looked back at her.

_She, lying there in his arms, her face radiated with calmness and her deep blue eyes smiled at him ever so dearly. _

"It's alright Ed. Don't worry about me. I'm happy I was able to help. Please believe me okay?"

"But Winry-"

"I'll be going to sleep now Ed."

"Winry, promise me you'll wake up okay?" Ed begged.

_Winry smiled and closed her eyes. _

_A tear escaped from her eye. _

**Back in the castle **

_Al paced back and forth while the others waited anxiously for Ed and Winry to show up from the 'bridge' Ed made an hour ago. _

"You should have let me follow Aunt Pinako." Al said, a little upset.

"I told you Al, it's only Ed and Ed alone who can fix it this time." Pinako replied. "There's just two things that could possibly happen, either Ed comes back with Winry alive or with Winry…" she trailed off and gazed into the moonlit sky.

"So will you finally tell us why Winry's case is different?" Riza asked, Roy was still half-conscious and resting on her lap.

Pinako puffed her pipe and started to explain.

"When we were all told to flee to the forest, Winry insisted to come back, remembering Ed's pocket watch that was so important to him is still left somewhere in his room. She ran off to the already under siege castle, I following behind. However, we got separated from the falling debris. I ended up finding my way to where Roy's transmutation circle was which of course, where all of you were…and ended up just the same…

Winry managed to get the pocket watch, but by then she was already badly wounded and almost dying from the amount of blood she had lost. The sad part was I couldn't help her because I became a duck already.

In a desperate move to make sure that Ed and Al will some day come back to take what's rightfully theirs and help everybody, Winry attached a part of her soul to the pocket watch and half to the rays of light from the stone that Roy used for his circle. That's why she turned to an animal too, a swan." Pinako paused and looked at everybody who were all listening intently.

_She continued. _

"The reason why she can go in and out of the barrier is because she's not really inside the circle when she was transformed, a 50-50 effect if you may call it that way. And that's the same reason why her life is dependent to us being transmuted back to our original forms." Pinako sighed sadly.

"You mean to say Winry will die when we get our bodies back." Sheska asked nervously.

"Yes, because that means the power of the stone has already worn off, and everything will return to how it all was before." Pinako confirmed.

"We-we are back to normal…right?" Falmon pointed out uneasily.

"It can't be!! There must be some other way to reverse this." Al refused to yield.

"Yes there is. That's why Ed is there…hopefully he would do the right thing."

"What do you mean?"

Pinako gently set her pipe aside, "Equivalent exchange. That's how you call it right?"

"Equivalent exchange? But what's that have to do with Winry?" Al asked, a little confused.

"Simple. It's all because of love. Winry gave her life to get back yours and Ed's. To get hers back, Ed must show an equal amount of love, which would only be possible if Ed would make a vow of everlasting love and seal it with a kiss…before the time runs out."

Al leaned on the wall and slowly sat down.

"Are you upset it wasn't you?" Pinako asked.

"No." Al replied sincerely. "I know they both love each other. I'm just worried because brother can be so stupid when it comes to matters of the heart."

**Back at the Lake **

_Winry felt so light, she knows her eyes are still closed, but it seems like she knows that wherever she is, it was all bright and peaceful. As if time was flashing before her, she can see in her head memories of her childhood up to the last memories she had a while ago. She saw all the places she loved to go to, and all the people she loved – and still continues to love. _

_A soft cool wind blew over her, sweeping her long blonde hair gracefully. She can still feel the soft cloth of her gown gently brushing as the wind blew again, she wondered if she really did pass away. _

_But suddenly, she felt gravity pulling from beneath, and the winds became stronger. She wanted to open her eyes, but they were too heavy and she felt she was getting weaker by the minute. Fear entered her mind, and she started to panic. She wanted to scream but nothing came out; she couldn't even open her mouth. In her mind, she knew that she was on the way to the end. She tried to calm down and think of happy memories, if she's really dying, then it's better to die thinking of happy thoughts. _

"_**Edward Elric." **_

_The pulling from beneath and the blowing wind stopped, and Winry realized she was back to feeling light as air, and the bright light started to come back. From a distance, she heard a voice that sounded so familiar, yet she can't decipher who owns the voice. She tried to figure out what it was saying, but by the time she listened harder, the voice faded away. _

_The next thing she knew, she was being pulled up, like being suctioned, but it didn't give her the scare. In her head, she saw a bright blue light that shinned like a star in front of her, getting bigger as she tried to reach for it. Not for long, the bright blue light enveloped her. _

_Winry had never felt so safe and happy like this before, except for those times that she's with Ed. She was glad to be feeling like this, at least for the last time. _

_Suddenly, she started to feel her body. She felt like someone or something is holding her, she wasn't sure. She can feel her fingers too, and when she tried to move her left hand, she felt something cold against it. But what got her the most is the warm sensation she felt against her lips. It was firm, yet not threatening; gentle yet passionate. Her heart started to pound like never before. _

"So am I dead? Why's my heart pounding like this?" Winry asked herself.

_The moon was shining brightly in the sky, it was all so peaceful. _

"Finally."

_Winry looked sideways and saw Ed looking down at her. He was smiling tenderly at her, something she thought that could only happen in her dreams. _

"Ed? ED!!" Winry sat up and hugged him tightly. "Do you know that smile of yours is to die for." she added laughing.

"Hey, don't you go on dying on me again." Ed pulled her so she is facing him, "I went to great depths to bring you back."

Winry smiled, "So you really did do it."

Ed looked away, "Well, yeah…"

Winry beamed at him, "Oh, Ed."

Ed looked at her, "Why, you had doubts I can't do it?"

"No, its not that you can't…but, if you will."

Ed sighed and smiled at her, "Silly, of course I will."

"Why?" Winry asked casually.

"Because I vowed to always be here for you."

Winry nodded and lowered her gaze, "Thank you. I just wished I heard everything you said." she added laughing not lifting her gaze.

"But most of all because I loved you, still loves you, and will forever love you." Ed said calmly, so calmly it made Winry's heart overflow with happiness.

She looked up, stunned. Ed's eyes were calm and peaceful, something she hasn't seen for a long time.

"Edward…" Winry trailed off as she became teary eyed.

"I want you to know that you are not dreaming." Ed cupped her right cheek, and slid his left hand at the back of her neck.

"Ed…" Winry smiled shyly.

_Ed moved closer and kissed her again. _

* * *


	11. Epilouge

**Epilogue **

_Ed woke up to the smell of the early morning breeze. He can sense the sunlight already spilling in inside the room. He kept his eyes shut and let his other senses take over for a while. He also felt his arms hugging something soft and warm. Ed tightened his hold a little; the softness was very comforting. _

BLAG!!

"Aaww…"Ed exclaimed in his head. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a familiar room. He heard a familiar footstep approaching him as well.

"Brother, are you alright?" Al knelt and helped him sit up. "You fell from the bed."

Ed was still a bit dizzy from the fall; he blinked a couple of times to clear his vision.

"Uh-brother, are you okay?" Al asked looking at what Ed was hugging so tightly.

Ed looked down and saw a pillow; he sighed.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Al looked concerned.

Ed buried his face on the pillow and mumbled, "Just a dream."

Suddenly, a loud knock on the door was heard.

"Yes, it's open." Al stood up.

"What was that loud thud?" Winry asked as she entered the room.

"Well, brother fell off the bed." Al replied, controlling himself from laughing.

"Noooo waaayyy." Winry's eyes widened. She rushed to where Ed was sitting and knelt at the side of the bed, shook Ed and said, "Ed…? Edwaaaard."

"I'm not deaf Winry." Ed muttered under the pillow.

"I can't believe you fell off your bed." Winry started laughing and Al soon followed.

"C'mon get up sleepy head, breakfast is ready. There'll be another story telling later." Winry joked as she stood up and reached out a hand to Ed.

"Don't remind me." Ed looked up, exhausted.

_He took Winry's hand and pulled himself up. But as soon as his hand touched hers, the last part of his dream flooded his head and a sudden surge of electricity shot up in his entire body, making him weak and tense. _

"Aaaahhh!!"

"BLAG!!

"I'm okay." Winry laughed.

Al sighed in relief, standing on the other side of the room.

Winry stopped laughing when she remembered she fell on the floor -- with Ed.

_Her heart started pounding heavily as she turned to look up. For a moment both of them were rendered speechless, trapped in each other's eyes. Ed was just a few inches away from Winry and with such awkward yet promising position; he felt he's living his dream. _

"Uh--are you two okay?" Al asked awkwardly, keeping his distance.

"Uh, yes!" Winry and Ed said in unison.

They both stood up immediately, releasing each other.

"You two should hurry down now. You wouldn't want Izumi to be picking you up, would you?" Winry said as she made her way to the door, laughing uneasily.

"Yeah…" Ed replied softly, his head low.

"Okay, coming!" Al replied cheerfully as he turned towards the door.

_Little does Ed and Winry know, Al was the happiest of them all. _

**END**

* * *

_There you go! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this fairytale adapatation with an FMA twist. ; _


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